Kensington Oval, T20

Welcome to Kensington Oval for this morning's Twenty20 international, aka the West Indies' Stanford $US20 million warm-up match. Such is the youthful complexion of their side, the Australians will almost certainly be stung for ID when hitting St Lawrence Gap after the game. The WA duo of Shaun Marsh and Luke Ronchi will be making their Australian debuts, while Shane Watson and Cameron White will attempt to prove they are still capable of producing highlights beyond their locks; returning to the international arena after extended absences.

The West Indies, as is their wont, will delay naming their starting XI until the coin toss, although they are certain to be without Chris Gayle, who has an ongoing groin injury. You, up the back, no sniggering!

Play will start at 2pm local (that's 4am for you east coast hipsters). One little issue, though: the rain has been persisting down all night, and the morning sky is as grey as Stuart MacGill's sideburns. Here's hoping the super-sopper technician has had his Weet-Bix.

2pm update: In a word: grim. Covers on, rain lurking and brollies abundant. Bear with us (or bare with us, if that's your thang). This might take a while.

3pm update: See above. But don't for a moment think The Tonk will leave you hanging. Here's a little "rain delay" entertainment. No need to thank us.

4pm update: This just in: the covers are off and the game is set to commence. Each team will bowl eleven overs (provided the rain stays away), meaning this match could be the shortest Twenty20 international ever played.

4.24pm: Racing! The West Indies' acting captain Dwayne Bravo has won the toss and sent the Australians in. Let the bash-a-palooza commence.

If the West Indies pinch this, they'll have Bravo to thank. Man-of-the-match in his last game for the Mumbai Indians (after which he flew to Jamaica in Mukesh Ambani's private jet), Bravo continued his superb Twenty20 form by limiting the Australians to 12 runs in his two overs, including six from the final over of the innings.

Australia's debutant opening combination of Shaun Marsh and Luke Ronchi didn't so much start their innings playing in the traditional 'V', but rather a new-age 'O'. Marsh blasted Jerome Taylor into Curacao (or thereabouts) in the first over of the match, although spinner-cum-opener Sulieman Benn proved more difficult to dispatch in the ensuing over.

Marsh and Ronchi were eventually dismissed by fellow debutant Kemar "Blocker" Roach, who had played a grand total of four matches for Barbados prior to the match. Welcome to first grade, son. The openers' efforts were partially off-set by those of Watson, who made an unbeaten 17 from 15 deliveries, and struggled to make an impact in the final few overs. A strike-rate of 113.33? For shame.

The West Indies' opening combination of Xavier Marshall and Willie "Tex" Perkins raised their 50-run partnership in 2.5 overs. And that's pretty much all you need to know about the Windies' run-chase.

Despite a quiet few overs in the middle, the Windies had few problems overhauling the Australians' total. In near darkness - World Cup final, anyone? - Bravo swatted Watson over mid-on to seal a seven-wicket victory with 11 balls to spare.

But that was just the icing. The foundation for the victory commenced with the X-man pulled Brett Lee for six from the first ball of the innings, then hooked Mitchell Johnson over the Greenidge and Haynes Stand and onto Fontabelle Rd an over later. Tex, meanwhile, saw little of the strike, but did manage to paddle a Lee delivery over Ronchi's head, much to the delight of the large Bajan crowd.

Marshall was eventually run-out-and-bowled by Watson for 36 (strike-rate 240.00). But by then, the job was effectively done.

WEST INDIES WIN BY 7 WICKETS.

Posted
by Alex BrownJune 20, 2008 10:39 PM

LATEST COMMENTS

sad, sad news about Jane McGrath. I'm sure Pigeon would give up every cap and every wicket to have her back. sad, sad, sad.